Back Линейни кораби тип „Колорадо“ Bulgarian Třída Colorado Czech Colorado-Klasse German Clase Colorado Spanish نبردناو کلاس کلرادو Persian Colorado-luokka Finnish Classe Colorado French אוניות המערכה מסדרת קולורדו HE Classe Colorado Italian コロラド級戦艦 Japanese
_New_York_1932.jpg) Colorado steaming off New York City, c. 1932
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Colorado-class battleship |
| Builders | |
| Operators |  United States Navy |
| Preceded by | Tennessee class |
| Succeeded by |
|
| Built | 1917–1923 |
| In commission | 1921–1947 |
| Planned | 4 |
| Completed | 3 |
| Cancelled | 1 |
| Retired | 3 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Type | Super-dreadnought battleship |
| Displacement | 32,600 long tons (33,100 t) |
| Length | 624 ft 3 in (190.27 m) |
| Beam | 97 ft 4 in (29.67 m) |
| Draft | 30 ft 6 in (9.30 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 21 kn (39 km/h; 24 mph) |
| Range | 8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) (design)[2] |
| Complement | 1,080 |
| Sensors and processing systems |
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| Armament |
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| Armor |
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The Colorado-class battleships[a] were a group of four United States Navy super-dreadnoughts, the last of its pre-Treaty battleships. Designed during World War I, their construction overlapped the end of that conflict and continued in its immediate aftermath. Though all four keels were laid, only three ships entered service: Colorado, Maryland, and West Virginia. Washington was over 75% completed when she was canceled under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty in 1922. As such, the 16" gun Colorado-class ships were the last and most powerful battleships built by the U.S. Navy until the North Carolina class entered service on the eve of World War II.
The Colorados were the final group of the Standard-type battleships, designed to have similar speed and handling to simplify maneuvers with the line of battle. The cancelled South Dakota class which was to follow would have in several ways been a departure from this practice. Apart from an upgrade in striking power with their eight 16-inch guns, the Colorados were essentially repeats of the earlier Tennessee class. The Colorados were also the last American capital ships built with four main armament turrets and twin-mounted guns.
All three ships had extensive careers during World War II. Maryland and West Virginia were both present during the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. While Maryland escaped relatively unscathed, West Virginia was sunk in the shallow waters of the harbor but subsequently raised and repaired. All three ships served as naval gunfire support ships during numerous amphibious operations. Maryland and West Virginia were present at the last surface action between battleships, the Battle of Surigao Strait during the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944. All three ships were placed into the reserve fleet after the end of the war and were scrapped by the late 1950s.
- ^ Gardiner & Gray 1985, p. 118.
- ^ Friedman 1985, p. 445.
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